Tomorrow and beyond

I had dinner the other night with a man who is a direct descendant of the founder of the faith I follow. He is visiting from the US and it was a great chance to renew our acquaintance from three years ago. He indicated to me that in the US government these days and in the school system generally there is a distinct push away from the use of the term or word or even reference to, God.
Christmas is now more abundantly replaced with the Holidays, Happy Holidays, Nativity scenes are being eroded and vanished and I have noticed a slow movement in that direction here as well.

A lady I know who is herself a mother, mentioned yesterday to me that when she was asking this year about the schools Easter hat / bonnet parade she was told in clear and distinct terms that the school has adopted a policy of tolerance and is not willing to offend minority ethnic groups who do not celebrate the christian God.

Am I missing something here?

I don't think the slow and subtle removal of God from our vernacular and by dismissing his grace and goodness upon us as people or nations benefits us in anyway. I do not believe that if people migrate to, or live within this or any other country have the right to form a minority that has the right to cease the general observances that many held or still hold dear.

One of the things I love about the west, apart from the general freedoms we enjoy, is the right to celebrate, and to worship how, where or what we may.

For the most part I think nations of the west were in fact formed around a belief structure and system that included the acknowledgement of God. Regular visitors to this blog will know of my lengths to not make the comments here political or overtly religious, but I feel saddened and strongly about taking the "Christ" out of Christmas and taking any reference to a higher power out of our lives. I am a Christian, who humbly espouses and believes in God, and in his son and believe that we will one day see with our natural eyes that we have been a part of something too wonderful for our current comprehension.

I believe also however, that on the course we, as people generally have embarked upon, that we will in a coming day see the errors of such a migration and outright disposal of God.

Being that I have now clearly stated my belief in God here on the blog, I am at great pains to assert that I in no way denigrate, or demean or dismiss the beliefs of others in things that are foreign to me. I truly do appreciate that we ALL have the right to worship how, where or what we may. For those who wish to worship nothing or who are atheists, I can respect and without reservation accept their right to have that freedom.

My objection stems around the erosion of some people's religious persuasion and civil liberties, because of the anger and unhappiness of a few.

I imagine it to be similar to the smoking issue. Currently smokers, who are rapidly becoming a minority, when they wish to smoke generally have to leave the workplace, office or restaurant and club to do so.

Then all of a sudden have the smokers lobby gain a political voice strong enough to change the perception of governments and organistaions to appear as though they are being victimised and hurt by having to remove themselves from those aforementioned arenas, and then have legislation to state that if they want to light up and smoke and other people take offence they, the non smoker(s), have to go outside so as not to offend the smokers right to smoke.

Does this seem all wrong or is it me?

If any of you doubt this, or think my example is extreme and ridiculous, start googling the state of Massachusetts concerning the Gay marriage debate raging at present. Again, for clarity, let me state that I have no desire to condemn gays of any persuasion, I don't adopt, appreciate or promote the practice, but recognise their right to exist and express themselves as it is mine, however the results of what is being proposed is, that in that state any reference to God publicly, could result in civil action and prosecution. Out of a desire to assert their rights and avoid being victimised, it would appear to me that they have now started to squash and elimnate the rights of any and all who even remotely believe differently.

I accept that in this post I am summarising the issues and there is much more to them than my synopsis provides, but the result is the particular part that interests me.

Where is it all leading to I ask?

What will the result be for us as individuals or as nations and people?

Let me share a private belief that anything to do with my photography comes not from me, true I take the images, but there are and have been many times when I am in a situation where my camera "dies" or I am asked to take an image in a way I have no idea how to create, and when i have a silent prayer for help and guidance, it always comes.

People have tried to tell me that it is just that you are connecting to a deeper part of your subconscious, yadda yadda....rubbish.

It is my belief that I try to be the best I can be, and I try to place myself in situations where I am more able to have the things happen to me that I seek, but personally, all I am and hope to be is a combination of my faith, my belief and my upbringing that has taught me that I am a child of God and with his influence I can do anything...and so I try, very hard I might add.

I was also watching a brilliant documentary made by Ron Howard this week called in the Shadow of the Moon. Essentially the only people who feature are men who are astronauts who allowed themselves and their recollections to be filmed, sadly Neil Armstrong chose not to be.

What struck me apart from the data, the facts and the feelings, was that there were a few of them who said words to the effect that with so much order and presence that they witnessed from outside earths orbit, was that they knew or felt that there is a God, or higher presence that gave order. They indicated a rare understanding that I cannot fathom. Only 24 men have ever observed the earth from outside it. That makes them very rare and unique. Yet, one of the astronauts said that when he read versus from the bible in a broadcast from space back to the earth, he felt a connection to what he read, and made the observation that he was threatened with a law suit when he returned to earth for offending a group of atheists.

I love the sentiments expressed in this clip below. They seem to encapsulate much of my feeling and hopes. I hope you "feel' a connection to it as I do.



I commend the documentary to you and give it 5 out of 5. The following is the trailer.